A Directory for Youth, Sermon · Remedies 5
Remedies againſt that Youthful Sin of Diſobedience to Parents and Maſters.
THis is a Sin peculiar to that ſtate of Life, O Young Man, if you would flee it.
1. Study theſe Scriptures, Epheſ. 5. 1. Col. …. 20. Children obey your Parents, &c. for this …s the firſt Command with promiſe, and it is well-pleaſing to God: here is a double Argument to enforce Obedience to Parents. Firſt, … hath a promiſe of long Life annexed, That …hy days may be long in the Land. Is not this …o be reckoned a ſingular Bleſſing, eſpecially …s it comes in by the way of a precious Promiſe? O flee Diſobedience, as you would flee immature Death, or being cut off, and …ut down, in the flower of your Age; for there is nothing more directly tends to cut ſhort your life, than this Sin of Diſobedience …o Parent…, as in the Inſtance of Abſ…lon. And then the 2… Argum…nt is, That Obedience to Parents is well-pleaſing to God. O powerful Motive, it wants nothing of ſtrength to move you, only a due Application, and then
2. Conſider how the Sin of Diſobedience to Superiors, entails God's Curſe upon you; ſee for this theſe Scriptures, Prov. 30. 17. 1 Sam. 4. 11. Lev. 24. 14. Deut. 21. 18. Deut. 27. 16.
3. Conſider how ſubject and obedient Chriſt was to his Parents, Luke 2. 51. and ſhould not you be ſubject to yours? Chriſt hearkned to his, and wont you to yours? O write after this bleſſed Copy.
4. Conſider how unnatural a thing it is, not to love, honour, and obey your Parents; you have your being from them, and come out of their loins; you have coſt them many thouſand of Cares and Fears, and Tears, and will you rebel againſt them? I have obſerved that there is in Youth, when grown up, uſually ſuch headineſs and pride in their behaviour towards their Parents, that when they ſhould have moſt comfort in them, they have moſt heart-breaking grief and ſorrow. O Youth thinks, they are wiſe enough now to govern, rule, and to diſpoſe of themſelves, without adviſing with their Parents. But be it known to thee, O fooliſh Youth, God doth not think as thou doſt, and long experience hath inſtructed us of the Errours of unexperienced Youth herein, in thoſe many fatal and ruining miſcarriages that have followed upon the evil choice they have made. O young People, pray conſider how much you are the Goods and Poſſeſſions of your Parents; That you cannot without a kind of Theft (as one ſaith) diſpoſe of your ſelves, without the conſent of your Parents. And I have alſo made this Obſervation, That God doth ſeldom (of all Acts of Diſobedience) …uffer that of marrying againſt the conſent of Parents, go off the ſtage of this Life unpuniſhed.
And then for Servants that are under the Yoke, who are in great danger of miſcarry…ng in that Relation, let me prevail with …hem to treaſure up theſe following Scri…ures, Eph. 6. 5, 6, 7, 8. Col. 3. 22, 23, 24, …5. 1 Tim. 6. 1, 2. And eſpecially ſtudy that, Titus 2. 9, 10. and 1 Pet. 2. 18. Exhort Servants to be obedient to their own Maſters, …nd to pleaſe them well in all things; not anſwering again, not purloining, but ſhewing all …ood fidelity, that they may adorn the Doctrine …f God our Saviour in all things. O remember, that in ſerving your Maſters after the fleſh, in ſingleneſs of Spirit, you herein ſerve the Lord Chriſt.